The Qian fleet.
The Qian fleet steamed slowly along Stellar City's inner channel.
Having entered Stellar City, they felt themselves safe.
For this was Stellar City, after all; would that pack of Owl Dragon warships outside dare run wild in here?
"The Owl Dragon Legion… the Chu family…" Qian Dafu said it hot with indignation. "It was this crew who attacked us from behind. And carried off my betrothed besides. This grudge I have marked. Once our working relation with the Holy Radiance Empire deepens, our Qian family will settle this account with you properly!"
And then, of a sudden—
the Qian warships that had been steaming along came to a stop.
"What is this?" Qian Dafu had felt his own fleet halt too, and asked at once.
"Young master, the channel ahead is barred, and a great number of shuttles have appeared about us!" the captain said nervously.
Qian Dafu knit his brows and looked out beyond the bridge's viewport — and saw that the gate across the channel had come down.
And at the same time, shuttles by the thousand ringed their Qian fleet round.
Set against their warships, out in the open these shuttles would have been nothing to fear.
But this was inside a channel, and the space was narrow.
Should these shuttles truly set upon the warships, there was no certainty the Qian fleet could hold them off.
"What is the meaning of this!" Qian Dafu knit his brows.
And just then a video window appeared.
"Qian family fleet, leave the present channel at once. You are not welcome in Stellar City now; you have been expelled from Stellar City. Leave at once! Leave at once!" The one speaking was the security head.
And his expression was a good deal more open than before; for though he did not know why the many families above should have given the Qian family up—
it was beyond doubt the best course available. He had no wish to make an enemy of those 3,000 powerful warships outside — the consequences did not bear thinking of!
And expelling the Qian fleet was naturally the simplest thing in the world.
"Pan Yang! What do you mean by this! You dare to expel our Qian family, of all things. Do not forget that one fifth of Stellar City's security funding comes from our Qian family!" Qian Dafu demanded it in fury.
Pan Yang said nothing further, but only looked at Qian Dafu with a light laugh, for all the world as one looks at a homeless cur.
"You have 10 minutes to withdraw from Stellar City, or… do not blame us for using force to expel you!"
"You—" Qian Dafu was furious past bearing.
And just then Family Head Qian Feng came onto the bridge; his expression was a complicated thing, and there was something unsteady even in his walk.
"Father, this Pan Yang means to expel us, of all things!" Qian Dafu, seeing his father, came forward at a quick step.
Family Head Qian Feng pushed his son out of his way outright, and dropped into the captain's chair with his spirit gone out of him; the captain beside him caught the wrongness of it, and turned to look at him.
And felt that Family Head Qian Feng had, all at once, aged some decades.
"Pan Yang… I should like to speak with the old gentleman once more." Family Head Qian Feng raised his head and looked at him.
"The old gentleman has said that he will discuss nothing whatever with you. Leave Stellar City at once," Pan Yang said coldly.
Family Head Qian Feng smiled bitterly. "Are you people… truly so devoid of feeling as this… Once, every one of your families, every one of your organizations, came to me all smiles seeking cooperation. And now… you cast our Qian family off without the least ceremony…"
Pan Yang said it mildly. "Family Head Qian, in truth I gave you a word of advice before now: do injustice enough and a man destroys himself. Those of us in interstellar trade may not have a great deal of conscience about us — but the things you did, attacking planets, plundering slaves. Truly not decent. Sooner or later it was to come back upon you."
Family Head Qian Feng clenched his fists and stared at him. "To do interstellar trade is to be hard of heart and ruthless of hand, to stop at nothing. What wrong have I done! No… my one wrong is that I was too weak! Were I only strong enough, had I ability enough, which of you would dare touch my Qian family?"
Pan Yang said nothing further; he knew a word or two of his would not change the conviction of a lifetime in this Qian family head.
"Rather than go out there and die, better to drag a few of you down for a mattress under us!" Family Head Qian Feng roared it out suddenly in hysterics, and then bellowed, "Qian family warships — attack! Open fire!"
Pan Yang laughed coldly; against this move of Family Head Qian Feng's he had made his arrangements long since.
At one order of his, gun emplacements extended one after another out of the walls about the channel, and sighted upon the Qian warships.
Those had been meant for Stellar City to hold off an enemy from without; and no one had thought their first use would be against the Qian family's warships.
"No… no…" Qian Dafu watched everything happening outside in terror, and his legs went from under him and he sank to the floor.
…………
Three hours later.
Broken warship after broken warship was being hauled out of the main channel, itself now battered past use; and one could see the Qian family blazon marked upon every one of those hulls.
These were beyond doubt the warships that had fled into Stellar City a short while ago.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair looking at the wreckage of these Qian family warships, and the corner of his mouth curled into the trace of a smile.
"Stellar City has sent word again, stating that when the Qian warships were being expelled they suddenly opened an attack, and Stellar City's security forces, having no other course, could only destroy every Qian warship within the channel. The Qian clan head Qian Feng, the young clan head Qian Dafu, and the whole body of Qian clansmen are all dead." Chu Xuan reported it to Zhao Chen, and there was gladness overflowing in her eyes.
With the Qian family wiped out, the anger in Chu Xuan naturally came out with it.
"And at the same time, Stellar City wishes to hold a negotiation with you," Chu Xuan went on.
"There's no need for me to talk. Those matters I have no skill at either; let those who have the skill do the talking. We have important business yet to see to. Pass my order. The whole fleet is to turn about and proceed to the new coordinates. And join with the Owl Dragon Second Legion," Zhao Chen ordered.
"Yes!"
Above 3,000 Owl Dragon warships began to get under way once more, turning slowly, making ready to steam away from Stellar City.
"Right then. My business here is done. And a certain lady commander ought to be going as well. I'll not see you off." Zhao Chen turned his head and looked at the Saint Cana behind him.
Saint Cana looked at him with surprise in her eyes. "How did you contrive to persuade Stellar City's upper ranks to give the Qian family up? That goes against the Stellar Alliance's principles as they have always stood."
Saint Cana had not thought before this that Zhao Chen would truly dare shell Stellar City; and afterward she had thought still less that Stellar City would truly give the Qian family up.
She was curious what this man had done in the middle of it all.
"Merchants, after all, are better at weighing gain against loss, and know what choice will bring them the greater profit. Set against other men, merchants are in truth the more simple, and the easier to control. You need only give them enough, and principles and the rest of it are so much idle talk." Zhao Chen said it with a smile.
Saint Cana gave Zhao Chen one last look, and wished to say something, but her mind was somewhat tangled.
And in the end she turned and left the bridge in silence.
There was a whole mess of business waiting for her over in the Holy Radiance Empire.
When they would meet again there was no telling.
And by then, she would beat him without fail, and make him her secretary-officer!
At the thought of it, the corner of Saint Cana's mouth could not help lifting.